Two years ago new "chiringitos" (kiosks) were purchased to replace the old ones lining Maspalomas and Playa del Ingles beach. Unfortunately bureaucracy meant they were left in storage as politicians argued about how to implement the change.
José Carlos Álamo (the man in charge of beaches on the island) has decided enough is enough and has given the go ahead himself for the changes to be carried out just after New Year, having declared his associates "incompetent".
536,250 euros were spent on the new kiosks, the idea being they were changed over on arrival but they have since been in storage. A study was requested to evaluate possible impact on the enviornment as this stretch of beach belongs to the natural reserve of Maspalomas Dunas but unfortunately nobody was put in charge of this study so it was never carried out. Each office that received the request declared themselves unqualified to assess such a study as it was passed around Gran Canaria then to and from Madrid.
So January 2017 will see the old kiosks removed and replaced with the newer model, currently in use in the Balleares.